Lower House Panel Approves Bill to Amend Immigration Law
9:27 JST, April 29, 2023
TOKYO (Jiji Press) — A House of Representatives committee approved on Friday a bill to amend the immigration control and refugee recognition law to limit the number of applications for refugee status to two per person in principle.
The legislation, which revises rules on the detention and deportation of foreign nationals, won a majority vote in the lower house Judicial Affairs Committee, with support from the ruling camp and Nippon Ishin (Japan Innovation Party). It is expected to pass the full lower house as early as the first half of May, after the country’s Golden Week holiday period.
The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan and the Japanese Communist Party voted against the bill.
The bill calls for allowing the deportation of foreign nationals illegally staying in Japan if they have applied for refugee status three or more times, even while their applications are being processed.
As the current law has no upper limit on the number of refugee applications, there are concerns that some foreign nationals could make such applications to avoid deportation.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
“High Probability” 2 MSDF Patrol Helicopters Collided near Torishima Island; 1 Dead, 7 Others Onboard Missing (Update 2)
-
Japan, U.S., S. Korea Coast Guards Sign Pledge to Strengthen Cooperation
-
China Firm ‘Developed System to Manipulate Public Opinion’; Leaked Information Describes Hijacking Social Media Accounts (UPDATE 1)
-
Japan-U.K. Foreign Ministers Confirm Deepening Cooperation in Security Field; Kamikawa Underscores Importance of NATO Ties
-
Japan’s Opposition Party CDPJ Sweeps 3 By-Elections in Lower House (UPDATE 1)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- Weakening Yen Adds Complexity to BOJ’s Rate Hike Decisions; Rising Commodity Prices may Impact ‘Virtuous Cycle’ Efforts
- Japanese Seafood Exports to China Sink 57% in FY23; U.S. Becomes Largest Seafood Export Destination
- 70% of Japan Companies to Raise Pay Scales in FY 2024
- 48.6% of Global Patent Applications Related to All-Solid-State Batteries Came from Japanese Firms; Panasonic Tops List
- Core Consumer Prices Rise 2.8% in Fiscal 2023